Elyse Thomson

Epic Fantasy Romance Author

ESCAPISM AT ITS FINEST

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About Me

Elyse Thomson is the pen name for a writer, bookbinder and self-proclaimed hermit residing in Canada's capital.I graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelors in History and Classics and I write epic fantasy romance novels for those looking to escape into another world. If you enjoy court intrigue, daring heroines, magical mayhem, swoon-worthy romances and ancient history-inspired settings, check out my books!When not writing, I'm restoring antiquarian books for a select group of clients, or snuggling up with my neurotic terrier, Freya.

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Books

Mages of Oblivion
A romantasy series of interconnected standalones set in the world of Oblivion. Banter, magical mayhem, and steamy romance!Cycle of Calamity
An epic romantasy series set in the world of Trisia. Time travel, fated romance, and a world on the brink of destruction!

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POISONED EMPIRE
Mages of Oblivion, Book 1A poisoner.
A prince.
And a passion that could destroy an empire... or save it.Black-marketeer Selene has poison magic and the cynicism to match. When she and genius metals mage Iliana are arrested by the same scheming, noble fathers who tossed them out at birth, they suspect apologies won’t be forthcoming. Forced to either impersonate their half-sisters or die, the friends are stuffed into fancy dresses, packed off to the capital, and thrust into the perilous, glittering world of the imperial court.Traitors lurk in Prince Belisarius’ court, and only his loyal strategos Marduk is above suspicion. As noble-born villains siphon away the souls of their daughters to magnify their magic in secret, Belisarius plots to expose them all—by inviting every noblewoman in the empire to compete for his hand in marriage. But two infuriating imposters in attendance quickly become his bane.When the friends are discovered, they expect imprisonment—not a deal. Vast riches are on offer if Selene poses as fiancée to the handsome prince while Iliana simpers for the towering strategos—a ploy to lure traitorous enemies to the capital. Yet even as they help secure the throne, false affections flirt with real passions, and Selene and Iliana are convinced they’ll either lose their hearts… or their heads.Poisoned Empire is the first steamy romantasy novel in the Mages of Oblivion series. If you love fake dating, ride-or-die friendships and Byzantine-inspired fantasy worlds, escape into Poisoned Empire!

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THE FIRETONGUE HEIR
Mages of Oblivion, Prequel NovellaHe's a prince, head over heels for her...
She's plotting to overthrow his family.As a noblewoman of Lethe, Nadia’s fate is set in stone—marriage, and a life of stultifying insignificance. Hungry for more, the talented mage schemes from the shadows, pulling the strings of a continent plagued by war. Nadia knows exactly what she must do… until she meets a charming, irritating rogue and the bane of her existence—Darius.Prince Darius Firetongue is the least loved son of a cruel tyrant. His greatest joy? Nettling the sharp-tongued, quick-witted Nadia in an attempt to woo her away from a fiancé she clearly doesn’t want. When his father decides to bring him to heel by threatening Nadia’s life, he knows he must protect her.Forced to flee with only each other to rely on, passions ignite. But as Nadia’s dangerous ambitions are revealed, they’ll have to decide—submit to family, or give in to a reckless, forbidden love and the promise of bloodshed to come.A lush, romantic fantasy novella set in a world inspired by ancient history, The Firetongue Heir is the prequel novella to the Mages of Oblivion series.Sign up to my newsletter to read it for free!

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CONSPIRATORS' KINGDOM
Mages of Oblivion, Book 2A disgraced villainess.
A prince plotting a coup.
And a match made in hell… for everyone elseDaughter of a dead traitor, lightning mage Taisiya and her surviving family live as pariahs. Taking on the new, unwanted role of diplomat for the isolated empire of Lethe gives the proud mage a chance to reverse her family’s misfortunes and regain her once-respected status. When arrivals from abroad include a handsome fae prince in need of a wife, she rushes to play matchmaker in return for riches.Fae Prince Mereruka has kingly ambitions and six siblings who stand in his way. He is convinced the king’s command to marry a barbarian from a cursed land will either kill him, or worse, ruin his schemes. Yet meeting the ruthless, enterprising Taisiya gives him hope he has found his perfect—vicious—other half.They strike a deal. Wealth and power for a bride. Except the price of failure is a favour—in whatever form he chooses. As they trade in innuendos and barbs, and bride candidates become scarce, Mereruka can hardly wait to see her fail in order to claim his favour—Taisiya’s hand in marriage. But it is her heart he must win if he hopes to survive his brother’s bloodthirsty court. Only a couple united in villainy can slay their way to the throne, and if he fails, their heads will roll.The Cruel Prince meets a gender-swapped Cleopatra in book two of the Mages of Oblivion series, perfect for fans of morally grey characters, lethal court intrigue and steamy fantasy.

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ISLES OF CORRUPTION
Mages of Oblivion, Book 3A runaway scholar.
A warrior haunted by his past.
And the curse that will break them… or bind them forever.Hypatia dreamed of becoming an academic—until her research was used for treason. When her past threatens to catch up with her, the mage decides to seek safety abroad. But in so doing, she’s tricked into taking another’s place as the bride of a grim warrior on a monster-infested frontier.Obsessed with fame and fortune, Sigimar gained glory battling the curse shrouding a nearby kingdom—and lost his brother in the process. Disillusioned and grief-stricken, the hulking elf is ordered to marry a princess whose magic can keep the curse at bay. Except he weds Hypatia, a beautiful substitute he yearns for but knows he must set free.Hypatia refuses to become monster fodder, which means journeying to Sigimar’s king to dissolve their marriage contract. Yet in the shelter of Sigimar’s embrace she finds a kindred spirit and an inescapable passion. Can she muster the courage to face certain death, or will she choose her freedom and abandon the gentle warrior she’s come to love?Isles of Corruption is the third steamy romantasy book in the Mages of Oblivion series. If you love contract marriages, pining, cinnamon roll heroes, and Norse-inspired fantasy settings, escape into Isles of Corruption!

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THE ORACLE OF DUSK
Cycle of Calamity, Book 1An oracle should know better than to fall for a doomed king.Aurora is a historian—not a prophesied hero. But the day she finds her first artefact, destiny pits her against the primordial monster that has repeatedly destroyed her world. Cornered by the beast, she escapes death when the artefact sends her to the ancient past and gifts her one chance to kill the monster before it’s unstoppable. Except it also lands her in the arms of King Theron, a handsome schemer infamous for his tragic fate.Theron is a bad man but an excellent king. When a battlefield mishap sends him to an enemy queendom in chains, the last thing he expects to find is a beauty with the knowledge to save his kingdom and crush his enemies. Tempted by Aurora’s uncanny foresight, Theron vows to possess her at any cost.Aurora’s only hope to defeat the monster in the ancient past is Theron’s army. With her world’s future at stake, she knows better than to succumb to his seduction, yet finds herself hopelessly drawn to him. But as she awakens magic that torments her with visions of predestined tragedies, Aurora begins to fear her heart is as doomed as the man—and world—she’s trying to save.Inspired by The Legend of Zelda, The Oracle of Dusk is the first epic fantasy romance novel in the Cycle of Calamity series. If you love height differences (understatement), time travel, and fated romance, escape into The Oracle of Dusk!

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THE STARLIGHT PRINCESS
Cycle of Calamity, PrequelShe’s a princess in love with the king’s spymaster.
He’s a cursed traitor plotting her abduction.Adamanthea is a failure of a princess with a talent for matchmaking. But when her latest pairing falls afoul of the king’s schemes, he decides to finally dispose of her by marrying her off to a cruel young lord. Scrambling for a solution, she turns to the spymaster—a handsome older man she’s long yearned for.Leandros is a spymaster with dark secrets. Cursed into compliance, he’s spent years waiting to kidnap Adamanthea as a hostage for an enemy queendom. When her wedding provides that opportunity, his masters promise him both his life and freedom if he delivers her into their hands. There’s only one problem—Leandros is in love with her.Neither can imagine a life apart. But as they’re pursued by a fiancé determined to reclaim his prize, and murderous foes drain Leandros’ life with their curse, neither can picture a future together. Can their passion beat the odds, or is this the match that dooms them to misery and death?The Starlight Princess is the exciting prequel to the Cycle of Calamity series. If you can’t get enough of age gap romances, forbidden love, and yearning, escape into The Starlight Princess!
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THE MIDNIGHT KING
Cycle of Calamity, Book 2A king should know better than to make an enemy of his wife.Editing.

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Blurb Writing Services

As one of the few indie authors who loves writing blurbs and creating taglines, I've set up shop helping other indie authors write attention-grabbing blurbs. If you have a tale of swoony romance or epic adventure that needs to turn heads with only a few hundred words, read on!

You wrote a book and you can’t wait to publish it. Congrats!One of the keys to indie author success is an excellent blurb. Sometimes called the book description or summary, back cover copy or synopsis, it's what you would read on the back cover of a paperback or on a seller's website to tell you about the book. Writing a great one is no easy task.
Maybe this is your first book, maybe it’s your tenth, but the question remains: how to go about condensing tens of thousands of words into a few hundred? Or better yet, how to do it without tearing your hair out? My services are aimed at helping you write and polish a great blurb!I specialize in Adult and YA Fantasy, Romance, and Romantasy.

TESTIMONIALSI loved working with Elyse. Her communication throughout the project was top notch and the product was miles better than anything I could have conceived of for myself. Elyse is a delight to work with, and I will be ordering many other blurbs from her.- Anita Primrose, author of 'The Oneroi Cycle' seriesBlurb writing is hard, especially as an indie author who is already developing countless skillsets. Enter Elyse, with whom I could share my story and ask, "help me pitch this better." While Elyse led the charge, the process was collaborative and the final text felt like a genuine reflection of my project. Not only did I gain stronger blurbs for my books, but also, I found the perspective needed to better connect my books to their readers.- Mel Braxton, author of the 'Isles of Fae' seriesSo happy with Elyse’s blurb service! She took my blurb and turned it into a diamond in as little as three days. I’ll be coming back for more!- Avie Adams, author of the 'Brides of Myth' seriesHow is it so difficult to write a blurb for a book you’ve poured your heart and soul into? Somehow, narrowing down an entire plot into a short paragraph was an incredibly daunting task, but Elyse really understood the assignment and helped me to nail my blurb into something that really caught a reader’s attention while capturing the feel of my story. I highly recommend this service!- Rachel Le Mesurier, author of 'The Musician's Promise Series'I hired Elyse to polish two existing blurbs, and the care she put into the work was evident from the start. She read through a small mountain of information that I gave her and asked thoughtful, pointed questions to really get at the heart of the stories I was telling. She was able to take my existing blurbs and make them shorter and punchier without losing any of the important conflicts or motivation, and I got great new taglines out of it too. If you have existing blurbs but aren't sure they're hitting right, I highly recommend working with Elyse. The outside-view-in from someone who is a talented writer who understands blurbs makes a world of difference.- Juliette Caruso, author of the 'Knights of Enar' series

What else should I know?All prices in CAD. Payments to be made through PayPal.I reserve the right to refuse work on projects that make me uncomfortable for any reason (such as racism, sexism, homophobia, etc). I will not tolerate threats or abuse. Do not request my services if you’re not mentally and emotionally prepared to have your blurb critiqued or wholly rewritten.

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